Common Robot Vacuum Problems And How To Fix Or Prevent Them

When you have devices that rely heavily on technology and software, there are bound to be some hiccups along the way. Add to that the fact that there are several moving parts to every robot vacuum and you can expect a certain number of problems, here and there.

But what are some of the common problems or errors that you’ll encounter with your robot vacuum? We dive into this more in this article. We’ll talk about some common problems, how to fix them, and even how to prevent them in the first place.

Before we dive in, keep in mind that all manufacturers are slightly different, so we can’t cover them all. We’ll talk about the more well-known brands (Roomba, Shark, etc.) and the common problems for them. However, a lot of typical problems can be rather universal, regardless of your brand or model.

Table of Contents

My Robot Vacuum Won’t Dock

There can be a few reasons why your vacuum can’t locate or dock with its base station. Luckily, most fixes to this problem are fairly easy and just involve you moving the docking station a bit.

Possible reasons your robot vacuum won’t dock:

Docking station is too close to another object.
Station is under a table, desk, or other piece of furniture that is causing interference.
Your robot’s sensors and/or cameras need to be cleaned off.
The station is positioned on a rug or mat.

If none of these easy solutions fix your problem, then you might have a more serious problem.

If it seems like your robot has trouble navigating your rooms in general, and not just with docking, then you may need to get your sensors replaced. You’ll need to check with the manufacturer for details on how to do this.

If the vacuum is working fine, the sensors are clean, but it just can’t seem to dock, then you may have a faulty device. This will require you to call the manufacturer or store that you purchased the robot vacuum from. Just hope that it is covered under some kind of warranty!

My Robot Vacuum Isn’t Charging

Assuming that you already ruled out that this isn’t a docking problem, there can be a few reasons why your vacuum won’t charge.

The most common reason that your robot vacuum won’t charge is due to dirty charging contacts. Most charging contacts are located under the robot, so they can easily get covered with dust and dirt, making it hard for them to connect with the charger.

Luckily, it is fairly simple to clean off the contacts, which will hopefully fix your problem. Simply wipe the area with a dry cloth or towel. If there is a build up of crud or debris, you can use a paper towel or something a bit more coarse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0-kDPzOFDY

My Robot Vacuum Won’t Connect to WIFI

If you have a higher-end or newer model robot vacuum then it might come with WIFI connectivity. But, as we all know, WIFI can be spotty and some devices just don’t hold the connect as well as others.

So what do you do if your robot won’t connect, or stay connected, to your home’s WIFI?

Here are some remedies to try.

Make sure you have the right frequency. Not all robot vacuums can work on 5GHz networks. You might have to select a 2.4 GHz network, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.
Make sure your WIFI or mesh network signal is strong enough.
Make sure you are using the correct password for your home’s WIFI.
Try restarting the robot and rebooting your WIFI router.

My Robot Vacuum Isn’t Navigating Correctly

No one wants to see their Roomba drunkenly swerving around their kitchen or dining room. But there could be a few simple explanations as to why your robot vacuum isn’t driving or acting weird.

Reasons your robot vacuum is acting weird:

The sensors are dirty and it is having trouble mapping and navigating.
The wheels need cleaned of dirt or freed of a tangle. Thanks, wife’s hair.
The wheels are worn down and need replaced.
The main or side brushes need removed and cleaned thoroughly.
The motor is going, or has gone, bad. (hope this isn’t the casuse)

My Robot Vacuum Keeps Beeping At Me

A constant or regular beeping can mean many things, depending on the brand and model. But, in most cases it is not a good sound to be hearing.

For my Neato it meant that the battery was dying and needed replaced. This can happen after 3-4 years on most brands. Luckily replacement batteries aren’t super expensive.

Other common reasons for a beeping robot vacuum:

The brush needs cleaned
Something is caught in the brush or wheels
The vacuum didn’t charge properly
Sensors need cleaned
Camera(s) need cleaned
It has become aware and is trying to communicate with you.

There you have some of the more common problems that might surface with your robot vacuum. Luckily, most of them aren’t super serious and hopefully this article is able to help you out some.

Let me know if you have run into other common or persistent issues with your robot vacuum. Thanks!